Edgewater police find discarded meth lab near homes on U.S. 1

When officers investigated a possible meth lab they found two soda bottles being used as “one pot” labs and a bottle of muriatic acid, a chemical component of the addictive stimulant.

MARK I. JOHNSONSTAFF WRITER

EDGEWATER -- A telephone tip led police to a methamphetamine lab dumped outside a cottage at the Terrace Garden South at 703 S. Ridgewood Ave. Monday afternoon.

Edgewater Police Sgt. Chris DeRosa said his agency was tipped there was a probable meth lab outside Cottage 11. When officers investigated they found two soda bottles being used as “one pot” labs and a bottle of muriatic acid, one of the chemical components used to make the addictive stimulant.

The bottles had been hidden under some bushes along the southern side of the building.

DeRosa said the family of three, including a 1-year-old, were evacuated from the cottage and medically checked because of the toxic nature of the fumes associated with the manufacture of meth.

“They don't appear to be linked to the lab,” DeRosa said of the unidentified family.

Neighbors were visibly upset that someone would dump such a toxic brew in an area with a nearby population of children.

“This is messed up,” said Michael Sturtevant, 31, who lives right behind the affected area. “A bunch of kids live around here, including my niece and nephew.

“A bunch of druggies toss their stuff in the bushes where kids could get hold of it and get killed,” he said.

Narcotics agents in hazardous material suits removed the bottles from under the bushes to a location where a hazardous materials clean up team could safely remove the items.